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Rascal Robert Fair is original Dennis the Menace

WITH his spiky hair and striped jumper, he has been scaring girls with spiders and dropping water bombs on teachers for more than 50 years. Now the real life inspiration for Dennis the Menace, one of Britain's favourite cartoon characters, has been revealed.

He is Robert Fair, a former merchant navy officer from Dundee, who now runs a garage in New Zealand. Fair's father was friendly with David "Davey" Law, who created the character for The Beano comic and he was a frequent visitor to the Law home as a child.

He emigrated from the UK 38 years ago and was unaware until recently that the character was based on him. His family were never told by Law, who died in 1971, because he feared upsetting them.

The connection was revealed by Law's daughter, Rosemary Moffat, herself the inspiration for Beryl the Peril, another character from The Beano stable.